Blackburn Rovers were able to redeem themselves at Ewood Park, as they banished their midweek misery by dismantling an out of sorts Sheffield United.
After their humiliating 0-7 defeat at the hands of Fulham in the week, Tony Mowbray attempted to rally his troops in the hope his side could head into the second international break of the season, on a high. In doing so, he made four changes to the weekend’s game. Scott Wharton returned from injury to replace the suspended Jan Paul van Hecke, Jacob Davenport returned to replace Bradley Johnson, who was on the bench, Reda Khadra swapped with Joe Rothwell, whilst Ian Poveda took the place of Tyrhys Dolan. There were two milestones within Rovers’ ranks for this game as Ben Brereton Díaz hit 150 career league appearances, whilst Scott Wharton marked his return from injury with his 100th career start.
Given the fact both sides had picked up seven points from their last five games, this game was always going to be a feisty one with an expectation of goals. The 150th meeting between the two sides was going to be an interesting one, given both sides were looking for a route back to three points.
As this game was Rovers’ closest game to the 11th November, it was scheduled to be the annual Remembrance Day fixture. As a result, a minute’s silence was observed, followed by the Last Post prior to kick-off. With Billy Sharp stood over the ball ready to get proceedings underway, the knee was taken before the Blades captain got the game underway, as 4,705 Sheffield United fans roared their side on from the away end.
Their support soon yielded them the goal after only 67 seconds of the game gone. Billy Sharp was slid through down the right-hand side and he got the better of Scott Wharton who half-slipped on the greasy surface. The experienced forward did brilliantly to get back up to his feet before pulling the ball back from the byline, towards Rhian Brewster who produced a fine first-time scissor kick volley into the roof of the net, past the helpless Thomas Kaminski, for his first ever league goal for Sheffield United, which put the Blades 1-0 after less than 70 seconds had passed in the game.
Rovers tried to regroup and get themselves forward after five minutes had passed, but after Reda Khadra was brought down around 25-yards from goal, and Jayden Bogle was booked, John Buckley saw his subsequent set-piece cleared by the visitors.
Three minutes after seeing their free-kick cleared, Rovers were denied, what looked like, a clear penalty. Ben Brereton Díaz did brilliantly to skip past a few Red and White bodies, after picking the ball up from deep before being pulled back by John Egan in the United penalty area. Despite vigorous appeals from the home contingency, referee Oliver Langford waved play on.
After a spell of Rovers dominating possession, the home side thought they’d levelled through the Chilean forward, however he was denied by the flag of the assistant referee. After Darragh Lenihan lofted a ball forward, Ben Brereton Díaz did brilliantly to pluck the ball out of the sky, before powering the ball under Robin Olsen with a left-footed finish, yet offside denied the Chilean forward a goal in his landmark game.
In the 22nd minute, Ian Poveda was hauled down on the right-hand side, which saw Rovers pick up another wide set-piece. Khadra, this time, stood over the ball as he aimed for the head of Rovers skipper, Darragh Lenihan. The Republic of Ireland defender leapt into the air before closing his eyes and hoping to make connection with the ball, as Robin Olsen came storming out of his goal. Despite the anticipation felt in the ground, neither connected as Sheffield United were awarded a goal-kick, as the ball missed everybody and trickled behind.
John Fleck became the second Sheffield United player to be booked, after Jayden Bogle. The Scot had scythed down John Buckley on halfway in the 23rd minute.
Following some spells of possession, most of which was dominated by Rovers as they continued to knock on the door, Sheffield United sprung a counter in the 28th minute. Sharp picked up the ball on halfway and slid Ben Osborn through, who was battling against Ryan Nyambe and Scott Wharton. Despite his tenacity getting him to the edge of the area, the former Nottingham Forest man was eventually crowded out and bundled over, as Oliver Langford waved play on.
Rovers soon picked up another set-piece as their pace on the break proved tough for the visitors to handle. Ben Brereton Díaz was again the fouled party as Reda Khadra once again stood over the ball in the 32nd minute, but his inviting delivery was cleared behind for a succession of Rovers corners. After Rovers continued to pile on the pressure from corners which came from either side of the pitch, the move soon fizzled out courtesy of Olsen claiming a poor cross from John Buckley.
The Rovers pressure and momentum soon paid off for the home side, as Reda Khadra, who had been lively throughout the opening 37 minutes, managed to make his first Rovers start with his first Rovers goal, as his strike from the edge of the area wrong-footed Olsen and deflected in off of John Egan. The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion man was fed the ball on the left, before he went on a brilliant run, skipping past a couple of United bodies in the process. After tripping over his own feet a few minutes ago, Khadra did not make that same mistake again as he released a powerful right-footed effort which found the net via Egan, as Ewood Park exploded in relief as the German made it 1-1.
Slaviša Jokanović’s side reacted to conceding the equaliser by trying to exploit Rovers’ left-hand side in the 39th minute, as they did for the first goal. Morgan Gibbs-White received the ball on the right and tried to find Sharp with a cross-cum-shot, but Thomas Kaminski proved alert as he claimed the loose ball.
The home side looked to try and go ahead at the break, as they once again tried to hit Sheffield United on the counter in the 42nd minute. A fine counter led by Brereton Díaz saw him feed Ryan Nyambe down the right. The Namibian then put a cross in towards Ian Poveda who was crowded out, but Rovers were able to keep the ball alive as it rolled out to Jacob Devenport who tried his luck at goal, but the young midfielder was unable to keep the effort down.
Sheffield United weren’t going to lay back and let Rovers do all of the first-half attacking, and that was shown as Rhian Brewster tried to notch his second league goal for the club. After Sheffield United again got down Rovers’ left, the former Liverpool man was presented with another chance to hit a half-volley from the edge of the area, but this time his shot ballooned wide.
Although two minutes were added onto the end of the first period, neither side utilised it to full effect as Oliver Langford soon brought the pulsating first-half to a close.
There undoubtedly would have been mixed reactions in both dressing rooms at the break, given how both sides had played that first period.
Tony Mowbray would have been delighted with the reaction and character his side had possessed in order to come back from going a goal down so early on, and he would have been pleased with how they managed to pin back an ex-Premier League side and grab a leveller in the first period. Although the boss would have been annoyed with how his side had conceded so early on, he would have put emphasis towards ignoring that and would have focussed on his side’s positive play.
Slaviša Jokanović wouldn’t have been quite as cheerful as Mowbray might have been, in the away dressing room. Although the Serb would have been happy that his side had taken the lead, he would have been furious with the manner of the goal they had conceded and annoyed at how little his side had produced, despite holding 60% possession in the first-half. The two-time promotion winner – with Watford and Fulham, respectively – would have been placing an onus on his side to go out and give the travelling fans their money’s worth.
After both sides returned to the field unchanged, for the second-half, it was Rovers who got the game back underway through John Buckley, as they tried to use the increased home support to their advantage.
Rovers nearly found themselves with the lead on the 53rd minute as a Poveda cross was nearly diverted into the back of the United net by Bogle. After Sheff Utd cleared, Khadra’s cross, moments later, also threatened but nobody in Blue and White could convert.
Two minutes later, Khadra put in a better delivery towards the head of Ben Brereton Díaz, but it proved to be just out of reach for the Chilean.
As Sheffield United reclaimed the ball from Khadra’s cross, they hit Rovers on the break and within a minute, found themselves up the other end, testing Thomas Kaminski. Billy Sharp once again got involved in the action as he tried to beat the Belgian, but the goalie proved his worth to Rovers as he stuck out his left leg and denied the Blades the lead.
Kaminski’s save proved vital, as within 120 seconds of his block, Rovers had managed to go up the other end and go ahead, themselves. Ben Brereton Díaz made up for his offside goal in the first-half, by grabbing one that counted, as the Blues went 2-1 up in the 58th minute. Ryan Nyambe and Darragh Lenihan did well to win the ball back as a collective inside Rovers’ half, before finding Ian Poveda who laid the ball off to Lewis Travis. The midfielder then stormed down the right, before returning the longest ‘give-and-go’ with the Leeds loanee, who did brilliantly to spread the ball towards the near-post, from the byline, where Brereton Díaz was waiting to tap home for 2-1.
The Chilean looked to add to his tally in the 61st minute, as Rovers won the ball back. Brereton Díaz was peeling off his man, as he received the ball, but saw his near-post shot ruffle the side-netting.
Rovers strictly resorted to counter-attacks in the second-half, and it worked a treat as in the 62nd minute they again broke away and threatened the frightened Sheffield United back-four. Khadra and Brereton Díaz played a one-two as the on-loan winger cut inside and faked a few shots, before seeing his final attempt blocked, much to the frustration of Poveda, who was completely unmarked and onside in the penalty area.
The 63rd minute brought the game’s first changes as Iliman Ndiaye replaced John Fleck and Rhian Brewster was replaced by Lys Mousset.
Rovers soon made one of their own in the 65th minute, as Tyrhys Dolan came on for Reda Khadra.
Rovers’ delight soon tripled as did the scoreline, as Ian Poveda marked a fantastic display with a goal of his own, as Rovers put the cherry on top of the cake with a third goal. The Leeds United loanee was threaded down the right-hand side, but saw his first effort spilled by Olsen, before tiptoeing past him and slotting into the empty net for 3-1.
Rovers looked for a fourth in the 72nd minute, as Buckley feds the galloping Brereton Díaz through, who then took a South American tumble in the box, but referee Oliver Langford once again, waved play on.
Sheffield United so nearly reduced the arrears to 3-2 in the 75th minute as Morgan Gibbs-White smacked the crossbar from close-range, after Lys Mousset and Billy Sharp saw their efforts scrambled off the line, by a combination of Thomas Kaminski, Darragh Lenihan and Scott Wharton who put their bodies on the line to protect Rovers’ two-goal cushion.
In the 77th minute, Rovers made their second of the day as Joe Rothwell replaced Jacob Davenport.
Two minutes later, Slaviša Jokanović made his final change as the booked Jayden Bogle departed and was replaced by George Baldock.
It so nearly could have been 4-1 in the 87th minute as Joe Rothwell played a fine one-two with Brereton Díaz before the Chilean found John Buckley on the edge of the box. The midfielder’s first-time effort struck the post, before Diaz sliced the rebound over the bar.
As the 90th minute appeared and five added minutes were called for, the sponsors gave Ian Poveda the Man of the Match award, following an incredibly worthy performance.
In the 93rd minute, Poveda departed the pitch to a standing ovation as Danny Butterworth came on to replace him.
The game’s final effort came in the 94th minute, as Chris Basham tried his luck from just inside the box, but his sliced effort ended up with the departing Sheffield United fans, rather than the back of the Rovers net.
After Thomas Kaminski took his goal-kick and the clock ticked over to 95 minutes, Oliver Langford called time on a fantastic game which saw Rovers earn redemption at Ewood Park.
Although 4,705 of the 17,291 left Ewood Park disappointed, the 12,586 home supporters were left delighted, not only with their side’s reaction and character, following the club’s heaviest ever home defeat, in midweek, but the supporters also marvelled at the desire and skill in which Sheffield United were dismantled at the break numerous times, even when the scores were tied. Tony Mowbray’s men proved that not only were they capable of battling with the best in the division – as per the pre-season odds, rather than the actual table – but also showed that they had the belief in themselves and mentality not to let situations and perceptions get the better of them. Additionally, the changes to the team gave Rovers more energy, despite the hit self-confidence, which proved vital, particularly given the game was prior an international break.
Just as a side-note, I would like to thank everybody who joined me on LancsLive, on the day of this game, either in the live blog, or to peruse my player ratings, or the comments from Tony Mowbray’s press conference. – (The international break was a great time for me to type this report out!)
Although Rovers moved up to 6th by full-time, the late kick-off between QPR and Blackpool, saw them drop down to 7th at the end of the matchday. Tony Mowbray and his men sit 7th with 26 points from 17 games, with a positive goal-difference of +2.
Next up for Rovers, following the second international break of the campaign, is a trip to Ashton Gate, to face Bristol City on Saturday 20th November at 3pm. Following that long trip, the side are back at Ewood Park to face Peterborough United on Wednesday 24th November at 7:45pm, whilst their three-game week is rounded off with a trip to the Potteries, as Rovers head to the bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City on Saturday 27th November at 3pm.
